Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘Les Safres’ Caillou, S Rhone, France
The Clos du Caillou was founded in 1895 when Elie Dussaud settled there and created an old cellar. It started as a hunting retreat and it has a remarkable history which explains its exclusion from the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation upon its creation in the 1930’s. When government experts arrived at the Clos in 1936 to survey the land for its inclusion in the new appellation, they were met with armed resistance to prevent them entering the property as the secretive owners didn’t want their estate to be analysed. This is the reason for the seemingly inexplicable blank spot in the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation map. As a result, the Clos du Caillou is home to some of the most spectacular terroir classified as simply Côtes-du-Rhône. The estate was purchased in the mid-1950s by the Pouzin family who decided to plant vines on the land that had traditionally been designated for hunting. They also acquired a 9 hectare plot within the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation itself. In 1995, Sylvie Pouzin took on the estate from her father and began the process of converting the vineyard to biodynamic practices. They gained their official organic certification in 2010 and since then have gone on to grow their reputation for the production of outstandingly well-balanced wines with their signature, soft velvety tannins.
Chanzy, Maranges, 1er Cru La Fussier, Cotes de Beaune, Burgundy, France
Maison Chanzy is a highly respected Burgundian producer, their wines are a classical demonstration of premium vineyard sites in Côte Chalonnaise, Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.
Their range has been carefully engineered by winemaker Max Blondelle, whose primary task is to create wines that eloquently communicate their respective terroir, whilst remaining hands-off in his approach. As such, Chanzy are one of the few Burgundy producers to achieve Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3; the most highly regarded certification for agriculture in France.
Pol Roger Brut Reserve Champagne, NV
Pol Roger, a Champenois from Aÿ, founded his champagne house in Epernay in 1849. Over the next 50 years, until his death in 1899, he built his business into one of the most respected in Champagne and, in particular, forged strong trade links with Britain. The founder was succeeded by his sons, Maurice and Georges, who changed their names to Pol-Roger by deed poll and, thereafter, by a further three generations of his direct descendants. To this day the company remains small, family-owned, fiercely independent and unrivalled in its reputation for quality.
